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I’ve often wondered about those cars…

29 Jun

A week or so ago, I got the latest edition of my Friends of Webster Trails newsletter. It immediately drew me in, because splashed across the top of the first page was a photo of an old, beat-up, rusting car.

I knew immediately where the photo had been taken. The car is actually one of several similarly (or worse) rusted-out cars that hikers will see when they walk the trails at Four Mile Creek Preserve, at the corner of Lake Rd. and Phillips.

I’ve been on those trails several times, and have come to love the old cars. Rather than seeing them as eyesores, their history always intrigued me. I wondered how they could show up in the middle of the woods like that. This one in particular is pock-marked with what look like bullet holes. I liked to imagine it was a get-away car belonging to some gangster who drove into the woods to escape, but who met with an unfortunate end. (The actual story of how the bullet holes got there is probably a lot less nefarious.)

So I was delighted to see the newsletter article explaining where these cars came from. It actually makes a lot more sense than the gangster story.

Trail steward Dennis Kuhn was able to track down some information. He wrote,

The cars were driven onto the property from Lake Road across a bridge that accessed farmland where the cars were last driven. It seems that some local youths decided to create a racetrack somewhat off the beaten path to have some fun cavorting around the open fields that were available at the time. If you traverse the land as it is now, you’ll have to use your imagination to see a relatively treeless landscape that existed sometime in the nineteen fifties or early sixties.

Nevertheless, the youths of the day had a ton of fun going around in circles until they ran out of gas or had a flat tire or wrecked the transmission.

If anyone knows more about the history of these old cars, the Friends would love to hear from you.

I was also excited to read in the newsletter that the Friends are developing a new trail at the State Rd. Nature Preserve, an area of undeveloped land on State Rd. just west of Salt. I haven’t seen a whole lot of details about this yet, but as I learn more about it I’ll let you know.

It continues to amaze me the great job the Friends of Webster Trails are doing maintaining our current trails and developing new ones. These dedicated volunteers bring hours of enjoyment to our community and deserve our continued support.

If you’re not familiar with all of the terrific trails we have here in Webster, check out the Friends of Webster Trails website, then get out there and start exploring. If you ARE already a fan of our trails, please consider dropping $10 for a single membership or $15 for a family. Your donation will go a long way to helping these fine folks help US enjoy our town’s natural beauty for years to come.

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Discover Webster through play!

12 Jun

Here’s a great idea for some inexpensive, healthy family fun this summer.

It’s called the “Find a Way to Play” playgrounds passbook. This is a new program from the Webster Parks and Recreation Department which encourages families to get outside and explore all of the great play areas we have here in Webster.

The 10-page passbook highlights many places right here in town where children and adults can be active and have fun. It encourages everyone to visit different facilities and discover each one’s unique amenities.

The booklet provides a brief description of not just playgrounds, but two spray parks, the skate park and more. It includes:

  • First Responder’s Playground
  • First Responder’s Spray Park
  • Recreation Center Obstacle Course
  • Karpus Family Playground at Miracle Field
  • Ridgecrest Park Playground
  • Ridgecrest Splash Park
  • Ridgecrest Skate Park
  • Kent Park Playground
  • Finn Park Playground

The challenge is to visit each one of these play areas, and record in the booklet the date you visited. Then take your completed passbook to the Recreation Center. Each child who completes the “tour” of Webster playgrounds will receive a token of accomplishment.

What a great way to encourage healthy activity, while learning a little bit about our town along the way. Make it a challenge for the whole family!

Passbooks are available right now at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive.

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This “Little Free” location draws art lovers and book lovers alike

22 May
  • The Little Free Library on the left, and gallery on the right
  • A close-up look at the gallery

Certainly most everyone by now is familiar with the concept of Little Free Libraries, mini libraries installed outside homes and schools, packed with books and magazines free for the taking.

A few months ago I posted a blog about one family who turned their little library into a puzzle exchange. Recently I was delighted to discover another extremely creative twist on the Little Free Library idea: the Little Free Art Gallery. In this case, instead of books, visitors will find pocket-sized pieces of fine art neatly arranged on miniature easels inside the box. Anyone is welcome to leave a piece, take a piece or just enjoy the artwork that others have left.

Even better than learning about these whimisical, pint-sized art galleries is finding out there’s one only a few minutes east of Webster.

Julie and Jim Gocker live on Ontario Drive, about a half mile north of Lake Rd. in Ontario. About three years ago, Jim built and installed a Little Free Libray in front of their lake-side home. It was the perfect way for Julie, a retired school library teaching assistant, to share her love for books with her neighbors.

Last year, just as the pandemic started, Julie read somewhere about Little Free Art Galleries, and hatched the idea to build one of their own. Given her background and having raised a family of artists and teachers, the library expansion seemed like a natural next step.

“It’s such an important thing to appreciate, either having a book to read or a picture to look at,” Julie said. “Those are important to us, and because we live in a walking neighborhood we just thought it’d be kind of cool.”

“I have to say that the plus to the whole COVID thing is seeing kids on bikes, swimming in the lake, and walking with their parents instead of being off on the soccer field or lacrosse field,” Julie added. “They’re home doing family things and taking books. So we thought it’d be a perfect year to do our Little Free Art Gallery.”

Building the gallery kept Jim busy for a while in the depths of the pandemic. When it was done, they waited for the weather to turn, and installed it on May 1.

This was the very first piece of art submitted to the new gallery. By Emilee, future artist extraorindaire.

Julie and Jim stocked the new gallery with their own creations until other people started adding their own. Their first artist in residence was a young neighborhood girl named Emilee, who filled her canvas with a large pink, green and yellow flower.

Perhaps it’s because the gallery is fairly new, but Julie said they haven’t had a lot of submissions yet, even though they keep restocking the gallery with several blank canvases every week. “They all disappear, but nobody’s been bringing any more paintings back to us,” Julie said. “We think Emilee’s probably going to have an art show.”

Of course the Gockers would love to see more artists contribute to the gallery, but they also encourage visitors to help themselves to a pint-sized painting at any time. Most of them are only 3″ square, the perfect size for your desk at work or home. But if you just want to stop by and admire the artwork — just like you would in any art gallery — you’re perfectly welcome to do that as well.

You’ll find the Gockers’ Little Free Art Gallery at 697 Ontario Drive in Ontario. And while you’re there, how about showing some love to their Little Free Library, too? They’ve already got a good stock of adult books, but could really use some children’s books.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

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More thoughts from another trail

21 Apr

Last Sunday was a perfect day for a walk. It was spectacularly sunny (for a change), not too cold and not too warm. My husband and I took advantage of the unusually pleasant spring day to visit a Webster park he had never been to, and which I haven’t hiked in about five years: Four Mile Creek Preserve.

This is a beautiful natural area situated at the corner of Phillips Rd. and Lake Rd., at the very north end of town. It’s got a spacious parking lot and about 3 miles of trails. And you don’t have to travel very far down those trails before all the traffic sounds from Lake Rd. fade away and all you can hear are bird calls and the burbling waters of Salt Creek and Four Mile Creek. Plus, there are a few unexpected surprises along the trail which I won’t divulge.

It’s a great place to enjoy nature and reflect on the beauty of our town, and especially of our trails.

And that thought brought me to where it often does when I’m hiking our local trails: appreciating the awesome job the Friends of Webster Trails does. If it were not for the tireless dedication of this all-volunteer organization, we would not have been hiking Four Mile Creek that day.

I remembered back a while ago when, in my monthly Friends newsletter, I read that membership in the organization numbered about 200.

I thought it was a misprint, and they meant to write 2000. Because I KNOW that more than 200 people a year use Webster’s awesome trails — trails that are so awesome BECAUSE of the Friends, who spend hours every summer to create new trails, improve existing trails, remove invasive vegetation, install signage, and build bridges.

And it’s not just about the trails they’ve created and keep cleared. I mean, have you ever checked out one of the maps posted on a trail to see where you are? You can thank the Friends for that. Ever glanced at a blaze to make sure you’re still on track? Thank the Friends. Ever relaxed on a bench or paused at an overlook platform or walked across a bridge? The Friends work with local Boy Scouts to build these structures.

The grunt work is completed by volunteers, but a lot of the improvements cost money. So far the Friends have accomplished amazing things with the limited funds they have. Just think about what they could do if 100 or 200 more families would throw them $10 or $15 to become members. (P.S. that’s all it costs.)

If you’re not familiar with all of the terrific trails we have here in Webster, check out the Friends of Webster Trails website, then get out there and start exploring. If you ARE already a fan of our trails, please consider dropping $10 for a single membership or $15 for a family. Your donation will go a long way toward helping these fine folks help US enjoy our town’s natural beauty for years to come.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

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Girl Scouts help spread the word about Webster’s trails

5 Apr
The builders: Martine Broikou, Leah Hurlbut and Ellie Gramowski

Just in time for warmer weather and the promise of more hikers and bikers hitting the trails, several new Friends of Webster Trails brochure boxes have been installed for nature lovers to utilize.

At the request of the Friends, Webster Girl Scout Troop 60844 built six new boxes to replace some that have been vandalized and add a few in new locations. The girls spent several hours a few weekends ago constructing the boxes, then installed four of them last Saturday morning, with help from Friends Trails Committee Chair Craig Hurlbut and Trail Steward Bud Gearhart.

The new boxes contain Friends of Webster Trails brochures, which include a detailed trail map, plus information about the Friends and how to become a member. They’ve been installed at the Hojack Trail trailhead on Van Alstyne Rd., Gosnell Big Woods Preserve, Vosburg Hollow Nature Trail and on the Chiyoda Trail.

I love the idea of having these brochures so easily available to everyone who frequents our trails. The all-volunteer Friends of Webster Trails does an amazing job developing and maintaining our town’s impressive trail system, which now includes almost 30 distinct trails stretching through more than 20 miles of natural beauty. The new brochure boxes will, hopefully, let more people learn about and appreciate these very hard-working volunteers.

If you come across one of these new boxes in your travels, make sure to grab a brochure, tear off the membership card and send it in to show your thanks and support. It only costs $10/year for one person, and just $15 per family. Or better yet, click here to go to the Friends of Webster Trails website to learn more about them and sign up as a member.

  • Trail Steward Bud Gearhart and Martine Broikou at Gosnell Big Woods
  • Leah Hurlbut does some drilling with help from Trails Committee Chair Craig Hurlbut
  • Ellie Gramowski helps Hurlbut and Gearhart install the brochure box at Gosnell Big Woods
  • Leah Hurlbut, Martine Broikou and Ellie Gramowski pose with the first box they installed, on Van Alsytyne Rd. at the Hojack Trail

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So, what have those museum folks been up to?

31 Mar

Have you been wondering what’s been going on at the Webster Museum during shutdown? In a word … lots. The volunteers there have really been taking advantage of this time to revamp, reorganize and rethink their collections and future plans. Here’s a great report from museum volunteer Kathy Taddeo:

You might expect that your all-volunteer community museum would keep working during a pandemic. You would be correct.

When the Webster Museum reopens, you will see ample evidence that volunteers have been busy. You will notice lighting improvements inside and out. You will see exhibit spaces relocated and reorganized for better historical interpretation. You will see various surfaces painted, polished and refurbished. You will see new items from our extensive collections on display in our permanent exhibits. Just as you may have noticed that the museum’s exhibits at Hegedorns and the public library have changed regularly during closure, you will notice new rotating exhibits in the usual cases at the museum itself. You may have seen volunteers as they continued to participate in community events such as the town’s Reverse Parade, the village’s Snowman Hunt and the Community Chest’s “Peep” Show.

Important and consequential work is happening invisibly as well. Board and committee meetings continue by Zoom with consequent tasks completed at home. Our volunteer webmaster continues to add new features and update favorites to the museum’s website, including photo galleries for the community to exhibit their talents. Collection inventories and document preservation continue. Collaborative research projects, plans for reopening when we can and needed estimates for building repairs are all still happening, though in new and different ways.

And planning… soooo much planning.

The Webster Museum Board has been meeting since October 2020 to initiate, design and undergo the rigorous process of self-reflection known as Strategic Planning. This process is intended to provide an organization with a structured way to examine its current philosophies and operations and align them with contemporary culture as well as with its own mission and vision for the future.

Despite the necessity of meeting by Zoom, Board Members have completed organizational and needs assessments and surveyed its volunteers and members for suggestions. Multiple extra Zoom meetings to design the process resulted in four study groups currently at work before, during and after more extra Zoom meetings to recommend actions to enhance the museum’s contributions to the Webster community. The Webster Museum Board expects this on-going and cyclical strategic planning process to take about five years.

The work of Strategic Planning may be invisible, but the results are expected to be tangible. We look forward to more visibility when it is safe to invite you back for a visit.

Make sure to check out the Webster Museum website for the latest updates on programs and exhibits.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

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My updated Webster bucket list. How many can you check off?

26 Feb

A few weeks ago, I introduced you all to my Webster Bucket List. As I explained in that first blog, I first developed the list more than 10 years ago, shortly after I began this blog, and was just getting to really know Webster.

That orginal list included more than 80 items from Webster and near-Webster (Penfield). It was pretty comprehensive list, but very out of date. It decided that it desperately needed an overhaul.

I started by throwing out some of the items which were no longer possible (businesses were closed, or events no longer happen, for example). Then I added several new ones, including many reader suggestions and others I came up with myself.

The final list still includes about 80 items, three pages of Webster and near-Penfield places you really should visit, or events that you really should attend. I toyed with the idea of including some more businesses on there (like the Waffle House and the new Cobblestone on Main restaurant), but if I started doing that, it would be tough to leave any one out. And of course the list can never be complete — there’s just too much to see and do in Webster. So if you think of something I should add, drop me an email.

You can download a .pdf of the list blow. Print it off and see how many things you can check off!

2021-webster-bucket-listDownload

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

Happy Valentines Day from the library and Chorus of the Genesee

14 Feb

Here’s a special Valentine’s Day treat from the Chorus of the Genesee, courtesy Laureen and Doreen of the Webster Public Library.

These two lovely ladies are hostesses of the library’s very informative “Let’s Explore Webster!” video series, in which they highlight local places of interest. In their most recent video, they take us inside the Harmony House, located at 58 East Main St. in the village.

In the video, Harmony House manager Brian Moore gives us a tour of this gorgeous historic building. It’s now used mostly as home to the Chorus of the Genesee and its barbershop quartets, but is often rented out by musical and dance groups for performances and other special events.

The Valentine’s treat is offered in the middle of the video, when one of the Chorus’ quartets regails us with two beautiful love songs in flawless four-part harmony. Those performances, and the entire Harmony House tour, should not be missed.

Click here to see the video on the Webster Public Library’s YouTube channel. Then spend some time taking a look at some of the other videos Laureen and Doreen have posted. (I’m even featured in one of them.) You might learn something about our town you never knew before.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter. You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

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The Webster Museum has been quiet — but busy

4 Feb

It’s been a long time since we’ve heard anything from the Webster Museum. Being such a small space, there’s really been no way to safely accommodate vistors during the pandemic, so their doors have been shuttered for months.

But don’t you believe for a minute that those museum folks have just been sitting back, twiddling their thumbs. They’ve been taking advantage of this time to make the museum better than ever before. In a recent email, museum president Tom Pellett outlined more than a dozen projects that have been keeping the museum board members busy, from changing up the displays and improving signage to adding new programs and expanding their educational offerings.

Here are some of the highlights:

  • Changes are being considered in some of the main exhibit areas, specifically, moving the automotive, bakery and dairy artifacts so the “Main Street” theme can be expanded. The very popular prehistoric artifacts might be consolidated to provide more room for a display on our early founders.
  • The main entryway, which you may remember looks like a barn, will be decluttered and some new items moved in.
  • Even though the museum hasn’t been able to accommodate school groups, the Education Committee continues to discuss ways to expand the programs and even offer the tours to additional grade levels — when everything gets back to normal again.
  • The Historic Properties Committee is trying to figure out a way to present the 2020 Historic Home plaques this coming May during Historic Properies Month.
  • Plans are proceeding for the popular “History and a Cup” program and annual Barn Sale and Vintage Sale. They’re also looking to host another cemetery tour and the Sunken Ship program.
  • Work continues on updating the Webster Through the Years book, originally published in 1970.
  • Discussions with the Village Board are ongoing regarding how to improve external signage to direct more visitors to the museum.

Naturally, there are still a lot of unknowns, especially when they’ll actually be able to open again. But clearly, when that happens, the Webster Museum is going to hit the ground running.

The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park, in the Village of Webster. If you haven’t stopped by their website recently, pop in to read about their new “Websterscapes” photo gallery, then submit your own favorite Webster photo.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

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A few village business notes

19 Aug

Did you have a chance to stop by The Village Quilt Shoppe a little while ago for the anniversary celebration?

Owners Vanetta and Monique have a lot to celebrate, having weathered more than their share of first-year difficulties. Given what they’ve been through, it was perfectly ironic that the cake experienced its own mini-disaster on the way to the party.

So now they’re charging ahead full speed into their second year and already have tons of classes and special events on the books. They’d also like to get a handle on what their customers would really like to see in the shop. So if you have a few minutes, please help them out by filling out their on-line survey.

The Quilt Shoppe is also offering curbside pickup or postal mail if you’re not comfortable coming into the store, or you can schedule a private appointment during their off hours. Visit the shop’s webpage for more information.

The Filling Station Pub & Grill, 77 East Main, is adding a big new patio.

The beautiful new space will eventually be used for outdoor seating, adding to the existing outdoor dining space under the drive-through. But manager Wendy Antes can’t pinpoint when that might be, saying it is “a work in progress.”

Stay tuned.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

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